With a relative success last season, I mean, 22-win streak and the presence in the playoffs without a franchise player, everyone had a great expectation on this season. In the offseason the rockets was able to acquire Ron Artest at almost no cost, Brooks starts to step up and Yao has returned. With the upgrade in talent level, who would have predicted the current fiasco? The last 4-5 including this one are absolutely the worst games I ever watched the rockets playing. Every opponent looked like the best in NBA. The rockets themselves looked like an amateur team. A lot of you blame TMac. I have to agree that as the best player in this team, his lack of effort was infectious. He looked not interested. He was really annoying simply passing the ball back to teammates who just passed the ball to him. At this point, his presence in the court hurt the team. He needs to sit. I am one of the fans who blame more on Rick Adelman. And the following are my reasons. 1. The team played without TMac in the past and they did not look this bad. With the addition of Artest, Adelman should have done a better job. 2. Rick Adelman does not have game plans. NBA is all about matchups, but I really do not see many times that the team use the favorable matchups to hit the other team. And he does not even try to protect an unfavorable matchup. Why did he send Yao Ming to guard the perimeter? I mean you can try it, but if not working why not adjust immediately? 3. Rick Adelman does not coach defense. I feeling laughing when the rockets defense was clicking last season, Adelman's staff claimed that their offense was always underrated. The JVG defense is disappearing, because either you lose it if you do not use it, or no one if pushing the player to play that kind of defense. The defense is failing, that's the major reason why every opponent looked the best in NBA. 4. Rick Adelman does not establish discipline. Everyone is jacking up shots that they won't regularly make, and this includes Yao Ming. In the past, Yao would get his shot only when he is in a certain position. Luther Head, Rafer Alson, Brent Barry would have a wider open shot than they are having. What I see is individual play, win or loss. Rick Adelman did not bring the offense he is known for. 5. Rick Adelman has more excuse than solutions. What I hear the most is "injuries" "I do not know" "just lack of effort" or "just a bad game". 6. Rick Adelman does not practice. I think this team do need practice to build chemistry, get familiar with set plays... I for one do not think that this shall pass automatically. Something must be done to fix it. But what's that? Would TMac be traded? Would Rick Adelman be fired? What should happen first? Or would a minor trade do the magic? For that I want to know, do you seriously think that this fiasco was all because of bad chemistry? And please do not suggest Von Wafer for the rescue. As well as he played, he is not the remedy.
#6 = really? Where did you hear that? And I think that no player's meeting will help this group. Something has to be done about the chemistry of the team. I think that benching Tracy and/or Yao AND/OR Artest will do the team some good. All three starters needs to: 1. Rest. 2. Do some soul searching. Why have your Big 3 play when we are pretty much going to lose anyway? Have the injury bug get swatted, and have the 3 figure out wtf is going on.
we can't trade tmac, because that is too risky of a move. hauling the coaching staff would HAVE TO BE DONE.
tmac needs to sit until he feels like he can contribute more than what he's provided the past couple of games... give others/wafer a chance... happy new years to all of you guys!!!
I guess my wording was off. I mean, he let players to skip practice too easily and he did not connect practice performance with rotation.
